9781422283196

traces and trails

feeling halfway through the night? Is it so cold and drafty you need to go inside? If so, it is a good thing you practiced in your backyard! You can learn from your mistakes to make it better the next time. You can use this step-by-step approach for learning other skills, too. Be Uncivilized uckily, most people do not get into such sticky situations that they must use their survival skills just to stay alive. Survival skills are also called wilderness skills or bushcraft skills. People like to use these skills for a lot of reasons—not just to survive! They may like the idea of living “off the grid .” This means that they do not depend on technology. Instead of using an electric stove, they make fires. They build their own shelters and grow or gather their own food. The trend for people to use wilderness skills as part of their daily lives is calledhuman rewilding . Basically, thismeans that people are learning to get back in touch with nature. They are putting ancient skills to work. Only a few people do this long term. Many more could be called “weekend survivalists.” They just like to go out in nature and see what they can accomplish on their own. It’s a challenge—and it’s fun! Practicing wilderness skills can be a messy business—so learn to clean up after yourself! Always start fires in approved areas, and make sure you put them out fully. Do not leave trash lying around. Avoid stripping branches from live trees. In short, be careful about how you treat the natural environment. In many places, it is illegal to hunt, fish, or collect food without permission. The exception is if you are in a true survival situation. In that case, you may live off the land. It is okay to leave a trail of where you have been to help rescuers find you.

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